1946 World Series Game 7 vs Cardinals
The Olde Towne Team
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. Founded in 1901 as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the team's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since 1912. The "Red Sox" name was chosen by the team owner, John I. Taylor, c. 1908, following the lead of previous teams that had been known as the "Boston Red Stockings", including the Boston Braves (now the Atlanta Braves). The team has won nine World Series championships, tied for the third-most of any MLB team, and has played in thirteen World Series. Their most recent World Series appearance and win was in 2018. In addition, they won the 1904 American League pennant, but were not able to defend their 1903 World Series championship when the New York Giants refused to participate in the 1904 World Series.
- Opponent
- St. Louis Cardinals
- Location
- Sportsman's Park, St. Louis
- Final Score
- Red Sox 3, Cardinals 4 (Extra Innings)
- Winning Pitcher
- Harry Brecheen
- Decisive Play
- Enos Slaughter's 'Mad Dash' home run
- Series Outcome
- Cardinals win World Series 4-3
Lore & Background
The Red Sox endured an 86-year wait before the team's sixth World Series championship in 2004. The team's history during that period was punctuated with some of the most memorable moments in World Series history, including Enos Slaughter's "mad dash" in 1946, the "Impossible Dream" of 1967, Carlton Fisk's home run in 1975, and Bill Buckner's error in 1986.
In Their Own Story
The humidity in Sportsman's Park was suffocating, mirroring the tension gripping the dugout where Ted Williams watched helplessly as Enos Slaughter rounded third base. Partee's throw arrived a heartbeat too late, just missing the tag as Slaughter crashed across home plate. A deafening roar erupted from the Cardinals' section of the stands, while the Red Sox faithful fell into a stunned, suffocating silence that seemed to stretch for decades. In that single, chaotic second, the dream of a 1946 title dissolved into the long, gray winter of the 'Curse of the Bambino.'
Reader's Guide
The Red Sox are owned by Fenway Sports Group, which also owns Liverpool of the Premier League in England, the National Hockey League's Pittsburgh Penguins and partially owns RFK Racing of the NASCAR Cup Series. They are consistently one of the top MLB teams in average road attendance, while the small capacity of Fenway Park prevents them from leading in overall attendance. From May 15, 2003, to April 10, 2013, the Red Sox sold out every home game—a total of 820 games (794 regular season) for a major professional sports record. Both Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" and the Standells' "Dirty Water" have become anthems for the Red Sox.
Did You Know?
- The Red Sox were a dominant team in the new league, defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first World Series in 1903 and winning four more championships by 1918.
- The team's 86-year championship drought was dubbed the "Curse of the Bambino" after its alleged inception due to the Red Sox' sale of star player Babe Ruth to the rival New York Yankees two years after their World Series
- Following their victory in the 2018 World Series, they became the first team to win four World Series trophies in the 21st century, with championships in 2004, 2007, 2013 and 2018.
- As of the end of the 2025 season, the franchise's all-time regular-season record is 10,044–9,336–83 (.518).
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